Car traffic on the streets of London. Photo from dailymail.co.uk.

Average spending and driving time for car owners in London

A recent study by car-sharing service Zipcar found that a car in London costs the owner an average of £3,436 pounds in year.

Londoners have also been found to spend approximately 182 hours a year, that is, a little less than half an hour a day. This means that the pleasure of getting around London in the comfort of your own car costs about £18.88 at one o'clock. This is slightly more expensive than driving in Paris (£18.55 an hour) and significantly more expensive than in Barcelona or Madrid (£11.64 and £12.13 respectively).

Moreover, driving around London is more expensive than a room at the local Ritz Hotel: an hour spent in this luxury hotel will cost its guest "only" 15.24 pounds.

The study involved 1,800 drivers who own cars worth up to £15,000 and live within 10 miles of the city centre. Total expenses included road tax, maintenance, insurance, fuel, parking, and vehicle depreciation.

At the same time, another study by the Royal Automobile Club Foundation found that over 800,000 UK households spend more than a quarter of their available funds on buying and maintaining a car.

This egregious fact marked such a phenomenon as " transport poverty» (transport poverty). It turned out that out of the total expenses of the poorest households, averaging 167 pounds per week, as much as 44 pounds is spent on car-related expenses. Of these, £16 goes to fuel, £8.30 to insurance and £4.80 to maintenance and repairs. By comparison, the richest households in the UK spend only 12% of their net income on a car.

However, despite the obvious high cost, Londoners are not going to give up the comfort and freedom of movement that their own car provides.

What are the costs of car owners in London? Let's look at them in more detail.

Costs for car owners in London

Road tax (Vehicle Excise Duty, abbreviated as VED)

From April 1, 2017, the accrual rules change road tax(VED) - Vehicles registered after this date will be subject to the new tax bracket. The amount of the tax will depend directly on the amount of CO2 emissions of a particular model and the value of the car.

The new system is designed to stimulate the sale of cars with zero carbon dioxide emissions - such cars will be completely exempt from tax fees. On the other hand, air polluting transport will be subject to the highest taxes. New VED rates for non-zero CO2 vehicles and value up to 40 thousand pounds lie in the range from 10 to 2000 pounds for the first year and fixed further at the level 140 pounds annually. Owning a car worth more than £40,000 will incur an additional fee of 310 pounds for the first 5 years.

Congestion charge

Let us also not forget that in London there is entrance fee to the city center- so-called congestion charge- something that has long been and (so far) unsuccessfully tried to be introduced in Moscow. Its amount depends on the payment method: if you register in advance in the CC Autopay system, the daily entry fee for the first zone will be 10.50 pounds. If you yourself live in the center, your discount will be 90% of this amount. Electric vehicles and cars with zero or low CO2 emissions that comply with Euro 5 standards are fully tax-exempt.

Without pre-registration in the auto payment system, the daily entry fee to the center of London will be:

11.50 pounds in case of advance payment or payment on the same day;

14 pounds when paying on the next business day by phone or via the Internet.

fines for non-payment of the congestion charge are quite impressive: 65 pounds if paid within 2 weeks, 130 pounds– when paying from the 15th to the 28th day and 195 pounds– after the 28th day.

Maintenance costs

In the photo: a rare car on the streets of London.

Due to the high cost of repairs, owning old vehicles in London is not profitable - after a certain age it is much more reasonable to buy a new car than to repair an old one. Therefore, on the streets of London, you will hardly see heavily used cars. The exception is collectible rare cars.

Insurance

The cost of insurance depends on the amount of insurance coverage and other factors: the minimum insurance covers only liability to third parties ( third party insurance) - that is, the damage caused by the holder of the insurance, if the accident happened through his fault. Unlike full insurance, it does not cover the policyholder's own damage, as well as cases of fire or theft.

The price of insurance also depends on the driving experience: the longer it is, the lower the cost of insurance. Unfortunately, insurers only take into account driving experience in the UK.

Also, keep in mind that driving licenses obtained outside the country are only valid for first year stay in the UK. After this period, you must pass a local exam and obtain a British license.

To find the best insurance coverage, it is useful to compare the rates of several companies. According to the Association of British Insurers, the average cost of full coverage for the last quarter of 2016 was 462 pounds per year, which is equivalent to 38.50 pounds per month.

Fuel

Fuel costs are, no doubt, a significant share of the costs of the car owner. Current fuel prices in England are:

1.179 pounds per liter of petrol

1.199 pounds per liter of diesel fuel.

parking

In the photo: Parking in London is allowed only in strictly defined places.

The cost of parking in London depends on the specific borough and starts from 2.50 pounds at one o'clock. You can pay for parking at nearby parking meters: the receipt must be placed in a conspicuous place, under the windshield. In some boroughs, you can pay for parking by phone, but in most cases this will require pre-registration and linking a bank card.

Some streets in London have parking restrictions: usually from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Parking is not allowed during these hours, or only residents are allowed to park. Therefore, carefully check road signs before you park your car. Useful online service Parkopedia will allow you to find free places in the area you need in advance.

For local residents, the city authorities provide parking permits (Resident permits). Their cost also depends on the specific area and is at least 146 pounds in year. These permits entitle you to free parking in a strictly defined area of London. Again, you will need to pay for parking a car outside its borders.

There are also free parking lots in London, usually near shops and shopping centers. However, it will not be possible to do without parking receipts there.

fines

A tangible share of the cost of a car owner in London is the inevitable fines - for improper parking and other traffic violations. Recently, the penalties for phone conversations behind the wheel: at least, for this you can get 6 penalty points and £200 fine. As a maximum - driving ban and thousand pounds fine. The latter is fraught with problems if you are going to naturalize in the future, since one of the conditions for obtaining British citizenship is to be a person of good moral character (“ person of good character»).

The size parking ticket in London the average is from 50 to 120 pounds. These fines are collected by both city authorities (local council) and private companies. In the first case, the receipt will be called the Penalty Charge Notice. They are usually placed under the windshield wipers, but are sometimes mailed if the offense was caught on a CCTV camera. It is advisable to pay the issued fine as soon as possible: if paid within 2 weeks, its amount can be halved. After this period, you will have to pay the fine in full. If the fine is not paid within 56 days, local authorities may increase it by 50%. If you do not consider yourself guilty, the issued fine can be challenged within 28 days.

Depreciation

Depreciation is often neglected, however, in fact, this is the most significant cost incurred by the car owner.

Newer and more expensive cars depreciate more. Losses in cost depend on the specific model, but on average they are 15-35% for the first year and up to 50% during the first three years of operation. However, wear and tear can always be minimized by keeping the car in good condition, repairing breakdowns regularly, not overusing it, and regularly servicing it.

To give a rough idea of the price of new cars in London, let's say that a three-door Kia Picanto costs from 8500 pounds, and the Ford Edge SUV from 30 thousand pounds(see picture below).

In the photo: top - Kia Picanto, bottom - Ford Edge.

As you can see, owning a car in London comes with a lot of obvious and not-so-obvious costs. So is it worth getting around London in your car? In my personal opinion, a car is needed here only in some situations, for example, when there is more than one child in a family. Or if a person lives in the suburbs and goes to work in the center, and there is no railway station near the house. In other cases, in my opinion, a car in London is more of a luxury than an essential means of transportation.

Indeed, in the capital of Britain, a well-functioning public transport system, which is spoiled only by periodic strikes (let's say "thank you" to influential trade unions for this). In general, public transport in the city on the Thames is very comfortable and functions properly. And therefore, as we have personally seen, it is quite possible to do without a car in London. So, to have or not to have a car - the capital of Great Britain gives you the freedom to choose.

London from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about London.

Hot tours to the UK
Tours for May Worldwide

The capital of Great Britain, a city of interest and a stronghold of English traditions, London (London) is the most popular destination for the British "excursion". And this is despite the perceived high cost of destinations and the obvious modesty of most hotels. Seeing the royal guards and hearing the battle of Big Ben, feeding the ravens in the Tower and surveying the city from the London Eye - these are the must-do activities for the capital's sightseers (as well as the traditional "Friday drink" in the packed Soho pubs).

London, the capital of England and the whole of Great Britain, is worth a visit just because it is the birthplace of Sherlock Holmes. Not enough? Here's another reason for you: many interesting museums with free admission. Is this really not enough? Then - read it by letter: in London there is always an exceptionally tasty beer!

In July 2012 London hosted the 30th Olympic Games.

How to get to London

Search flights to London

Districts of London

The city, familiar to everyone since childhood, cannot be studied by guidebooks: it is exactly the same as in millions of pictures, and at the same time shockingly different, lively, colorful. On the one hand, this is one of the greenest capitals in Europe, where each district has its own park, or even several. However, when you find yourself in disadvantaged neighborhoods built up with council housing (council house - an analogue of social housing for the poor), you see only not very neat stone jungle.

We are not surprised at anything. On the way to Trafalgar Square, you can find yourself in the Indian or Chinatown ("Chinatown" in Soho). Having buried your nose in the map, suddenly go out to the hipster "market": into the alley, where shops with strange clothes and comics. And all this will happen to you in the most that neither is the tourist center, somewhere in Westminster or South Camden.

“Excuse me, where is Big Ben?”

The heart of London, the area from which it is easiest to start the report, is the City: it is a kind of city within a city, a separate administrative unit, with self-government, preserved since the Middle Ages. In addition to the City, there are 32 administrative districts in Greater London: another city (city of Westminster), three royal boroughs (borough - translated from English as “town”), which include Greenwich, Kingston upon Thames, as well as Kensington and Chelsea; all the other 28 go in the "just borough" category.

According to its own regulations, London is divided into internal and external. The interior, divided by the Thames, is essentially the central part of the city; it does not go beyond the former County of London, that is, it lives within the boundaries of 12 districts (Westminster, Greenwich Islington, Camden, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Louisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham), territorially here add an independent city.

To get around faster, just look at how the city metro is divided into zones: Inner London is in the central circle of zones 1-2. The next circle (zones 3-4) already covers several dozen areas, including the “sports famous” for the whole world Wimbledon and Wembley, Greenwich (“the sea gate of the capital”, the only remote area where there are enough monuments for a full day of inspection), Tottenham and other. The last circle of zones 5-6 encircles Greater London, this includes the nearest suburbs and Heathrow Airport. Here is concentrated "the same London".

So, there are three historical centers (in Inner London, of course, since most of the Outer London remained forests and swamps until the beginning of the 20th century), from where the city grew - they were all settlements from time immemorial (that is, they count from pre-Christian or early Christian). On the left, north, bank of the Thames - this is Westminster and the City, on the right - Southwark, connected to them by the Tower Bridge (no epithets: we reverently walk, look, blown away by a heavy wind). The city center on the north bank has almost no monuments preserved before 1666 - the year of a grandiose fire. The southern coast generally saved only a few ancient monuments and left great memories for itself.

City and Tower Hamlet

Rent a Car

London is a city in which the number of cars per capita is steadily declining, and the cost of parking is recognized as the highest in the world.

Entrance to the central zone is paid. If you do not buy reusable, then from 11.5 GBP. And that's not all the trouble: in the center there is often nowhere to park, and the fine for improper parking is 80 GBP or 130 GBP if the entry fee is not paid. Fines within 14 days can be paid with a 50% discount.

It is advisable to familiarize yourself with the list of parking lots and the nuances of the service in advance, for example, on the website of Q-Park, the largest parking network in London.

It is more convenient and cheaper to park your car on the territory of the hotel where you are staying. The problem is that such a service will be offered by hotels that are very remote from the center (from 10 GBP per day). Public parking in residential areas is scarce and costs from 20 GBP per day.

The minimum cost of parking - from 2.20 GBP per hour, the maximum - from 4.40 GBP. In the old center there are "gluttonous" machines that accept payment with both a card and coins - about 5 GBP per hour. It is forbidden to stand here for more than 2 hours, in other parking lots, as a rule, it is allowed to stay no more than 4 hours. However, all parking lots are charged only on weekdays from 8:30 to 18:30. At the same time, in especially popular places (next to theaters or shopping malls) Parking on Saturday may also be paid.

Communication and Wi-Fi

Cellular or roaming?

You can save money on cell phones in London. Contract tariffs with a package set of services for a year/month will cost less than prepaid ones, and local cellular companies have launched a real hunt for tourists, students, and foreigners to earn money.

The pay as you go system does not require the conclusion of a contract, that is, the presentation of documents. And you can buy a SIM card almost everywhere: in a vending machine at the airport, kiosks, small shops. True, you will have to pay for the card itself within 5-10 GBP. If you order a SIM card on the operator's website (knowing the address where you need to deliver it) or find one of the branded operator points, then the same conditional 5 GBP will be on your account.

All local mobile operators provide reliable coverage of both 3G and 4G. The average price of a package for a month with a minimum amount of traffic (100-500 Mb) and a set of prepaid minutes is 10-15 GBP. A call to Russia may cost 1-2 GBP. MVNO operators (Lebara, Tesco, Giffgaff, Tello, Virgin, Asda) are at least 1.5 times cheaper and are aimed at visitors as well. A minute of conversation with Russia here starts from 5-9 GBX (pence), depending on the tariff. If you connect in the pay as you go mode, the account is usually replenished with cards with a face value of 10 GBP or more.

Mobile Internet in England is not cheap: from 5 GBP for 500 MB per month, from 15 GBP for 3 GB, etc. We get acquainted with a detailed list of operators and their packages.

WiFi

With free Internet access in London, not everything is simple. At the hotel, both in the room and on the territory, you may be required from 5-7 GBP for 8 hours. Many pubs, restaurants and cafes provide a password to enter the network from the institution, but public networks require registration with a mobile number, and, of course, a British one.

According to the experience of tourists, the easiest way to connect to Wi-Fi is in the Wetherspoon`s pub network (not all have a strong signal) or Fuller, in the ubiquitous McDonald's and Starbucks, in the Costa coffee chain. Alternatively, they may require registration by email and you will also need to enter your London address.

London Pass

London Pass (LP) is a set of plastic card(admission ticket), Guidbook and mobile app. It includes guided tours, museum and theater tickets, Wimbledon court tours, tickets to Chelsea and Asenal home games and more, plus skip-the-line access.

The cost of a one-day card is 59 GBP (children's ticket from 5 to 15 years - 39 GBP), cards for 2 days - 79 (59) GBP, there are discounts for cards for 3 and 6 days - in this case 85.50 (59.40 ) GBP and 109.65 (69.65) GBP, respectively. Recently, a 10-day card has appeared, which, with a discount, will cost less than a 6-day one at the regular price - 127.20 (87.20) GBP. Prerequisite: The London Pass allows you to visit a limited number of attractions per day - so that the total amount of entrance tickets does not exceed 90 GBP.

On a one-day card, you can theoretically save up to 31 GBP (in fact, 6-18 GBP, since 66-77 GBP is hardly spent per day on the LP program - there are good examples of "schedules" for the day right on the London Pass website). Cards for 2-3 days are in the greatest demand - this is usually enough to visit the most popular (that is, expensive excursions), saving up to 100 GBP.

The purchased card is valid for a year, but activation occurs at the time of the first visit - from here the countdown begins.

Pluses LP - an opportunity to save money, as well as to see London, unknown to the general public. Disadvantages - there is a possibility of losing the pounds spent if you get out of a busy schedule.

In London, the LP kit is sold at Zone 1 underground stations (city centre) as well as railway stations. To receive a discount through the site, you must make an online purchase, print a receipt (or rewrite the control code) and collect it at the pickup point in Leicester Square. London Pass can also be purchased with an Oyster Travelcard - add 13, 18 or 28 GBP to the cost for 1, 2 and 3 days, respectively. The Dining Pass card (10 GBP) is sold separately: up to 50% discounts in cafes and restaurants.

London Hotels

There are many pickpockets in the markets (especially on weekends) and in transport. Sometimes you can encounter fraud in currency exchange offices and shops: a tourist will be exchanged only a part of the amount or given change in denominations of a smaller denomination.

Markets in London

There are several dozens of different markets in the city, most of them are flea markets.

Guides in London

Entertainment and attractions in London

However, once in London, you need to resist the temptation to immediately rush to all the places whose names have set the teeth on edge even for those who have never left their microdistrict - you will meet crowds of the same "originals" there. And believe me, getting to know the life of the city as it is is better not from the window of a tourist bus (unless, of course, you are a big fan of traffic jams and Japanese tourists).

The life of a real Londoner takes place (besides the office) in two places: in a pub and in a park. Parks are everywhere in London - there is hardly another capital in the world with so many green spaces.

Get a map, it’s almost useless to ask passersby “how to get to the library” - the native townspeople speak a completely incomprehensible English language (the famous “Cockney” is just one of the unimaginable dialects), and the “new Londoners” for the most part do not speak English at all .

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London parks

In Hyde Park you can go boating and fishing, show off your oratorical skills in the Shakespeare Corner, have breakfast on the grass or go horseback riding. Even if you have never sat on a horse, it does not matter, for 60 GBP per hour the trainer will be happy to teach you this.

Perhaps this will come as a surprise to some, but another "sign" of London - Big Ben - is not a clock tower at all, but a bell located inside this very clock tower of the Palace of Westminster.

While drinking lemonade in the overgrown meadows of Green Park, it is interesting to watch the entrance to Buckingham Palace, as well as the eternal traffic jam near its gates (they say there were cases when those who despaired of getting inside landed on the palace grounds by parachute).

Closes the London "garden ring" St. James Park with its huge pond and funny-looking pelicans.

If you still can't tell the difference between a phalaenopsis orchid and a common oak, welcome to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. While parents enjoy the diversity of species and varieties, the offspring can explore the structure of a badger hole, climb a giant insectivorous plant and run right through the treetops inside the glass arch. If this is not enough for you, go to Richmond Park - noble and sika deer roam freely in its expanses.

The changing of the guard at the palace takes place daily at 11:30 in spring and summer, and every other day in autumn and winter. The schedule is posted on a large sign outside the palace. Those wishing to photograph the ceremony without interference should take a seat at the palace fence in advance.

sights

After enjoying nature, it makes sense to walk around the sights that have sunk into the soul since the lessons in English secondary school. Go to Picadilly Circus to make sure that there is no circus there - just the square squares of the city are called square, but the round ones, respectively, circus. It is curious that the buildings on Picadilly, located, by the way, in the historical part of the city, are hung with garlands of huge billboards in the best traditions of American megacities, and for some reason no one throws rotten tomatoes at the Mayor of London.

Another hero of English topics is St. Paul's Cathedral, the magnificent brainchild of Sir Christopher Wren, and London Cathedral. Having climbed the Whispering Gallery, you should not even whisper about “that ridiculous couple” on the opposite side - the acoustics of the gallery carry any sound 100 meters around, it will be embarrassing if they turn out to be your compatriots.

Perhaps this will come as a surprise to some, but another "sign" of London - Big Ben - is not a clock tower at all, but a bell located inside this very clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. The official version says that the giant weighing more than 13 tons received its name in honor of the foreman of the tower under construction, Sir Benjamin Hall. No less plausible is the story that the nickname was given to the bell by hard workers who transported it on a horse-drawn cart from the foundry to the tower, immortalizing their idol, heavyweight boxer Benjamin Count.

You can continue your journey through the places dear to our hearts on a river bus (if, of course, these “space” high-speed catamarans can be called that). Depart from the London Eye, having previously assessed your route from the height of this largest Ferris wheel in Europe. A 10-minute walk from the next Embarkment Pier in Trafalgar Square, you will be met by the glorious Admiral Nelson. Two more stations - Tower pier, and, accordingly, the Tower and Tower Bridge. So, "easily and smoothly sliding", you will reach the final North Greenwich Pier, which is not far from the Royal Greenwich Observatory: do not miss the chance to be both in the western and eastern hemispheres, standing on the zero meridian.

Entertainment in London, of course, enough. But there is one thing that makes it different from other cities in the world. It's "Friday night" when all the pubs in Soho are packed and beer and ale are pouring.

Museums in London

The capital of Britain is at the same time called the world capital of museums. Some of them have collected the richest collections, canceled the entrance fee. Others, like the Tower Bridge Museum or the Cutty Sark ship museum, entered the London Pass system, while others became a real attraction: why does London need its own Disneyland when there is a museum on Baker Street, Madame Tussauds, Harry Potter Museum at Warner Bros Studios . Even the most classical of London's museums are arranged in such a way that the visitor can not only watch, but almost take part in the exhibition.

The main museums of the capital are free for the British and visitors from other countries. There is usually free Wi-Fi, free toilets, reasonably priced cafes (you can bring your own food, but you can eat outside of the cafe), and even free printed materials in different languages. In this case, it is customary to leave a donation, the recommended amount of which is indicated right there.

The British Museum is usually compared with the Louvre and the St. Petersburg Hermitage. The richest collection of antiquities is stored here: fragments and sculptures from the Athenian Parthenon and other temples; mummies and sarcophagi taken out of Egypt (as well as papyrus scrolls, grandiose sculptures, utensils); funerary, cult, household items from Ancient Mesopotamia (Assyria, Akkad, Sumer, Babylon).

The Museum of Natural History is famous for its collection of ancient animals (skeletons and interactive dummies of dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers and other prehistoric creatures). For comparison, in St. Petersburg, something similar can be seen in the Kuntskamera and the Zoological Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences, but here the exhibits have multi-colored illumination, make sounds, and imitate movement.

A few steps away is the Science Museum, where all the exhibits (aircraft, ships, cars, various engines and household appliances) are designed and assembled in such a way that visitors spin, launch and touch them with their hands.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is London's largest museum of "arts and crafts": under one roof there are collected completely miscellaneous items having artistic value. From tapestries and figurines to balconies and balustrades.

They go to the London National Gallery to finally look at the paintings: here the collection is full of names and masterpieces (more than 2 thousand paintings in total). These are the artists of Western Europe - paintings from the 13th century to the beginning of the 20th century (Titian, Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Van Dyck, Velasquez, Botticelli, Bosch, van Gogh, da Vinci).

The Tate Modern is the place to be to get acquainted with modern painting (works written after 1900) and not only. In a former power plant on the south bank of the Thames, there is enough space for large-scale installations, sometimes shocking and always original. The gallery has existed since 2000 and is one of the ten most visited in the world.

Madame Tussauds is another face of London, this time skillfully sculpted from wax for the amusement of the public. The museum was once famous for the death masks of those executed on the guillotine in Paris (1845). Since then, technologies have changed, wax figures began to be stored much longer, processed with special compounds - but the horror room is still in place, only the figures began to move, smells and sounds were added.

Fun fact: you can take pictures with the sculptures for free (with the exception of the British royal family, with members of which a special photographer takes pictures).

The Sherlock Holmes Museum is quite consistent with the spirit of Conan Doyle's stories, they tried to make it very authentic. Here you can take pictures in Sherlock's cap, sit in his armchair, read a newspaper by the fireplace.

The London Dungeon Museum is worth a visit for the sake of the medieval capital of England, when stench and sewage were an integral part of the streets, and public executions were a favorite spectacle of the crowd.

10 things to do in London

Skip a pint or two of beer or ale at one of the Soho pubs.
Take a ride on the famous "double decker" - a bright red double-decker bus, be sure to take the most the best place On the second floor.
Walk through the pavilions of the Warner Bros film studio, where the Harry Potter saga was filmed.
Stomp, jump or just take a picture on the line of the zero meridian, which serves as a reference point for time on the planet.
See the city from the London Eye.
Go to one of the royal parks and, sitting on the lawn, contemplate people and birds.
Feel a surge of interest in museums: no matter what anyone says, but the most visited museums in the world in the free entrance mode is tempting, isn't it?
See the bridges on the Thames (and not only the Tower) illuminated in the evening.
Take a picture of a guardsman in a bear hat: yes, you will have to hustle in the crowd at one of Her Majesty's residences.
Sit on a bench or right on the pavement opposite Westminster, hear the bell of Big Ben, wash down the shock and awe with a cup of English tea.

Palaces of London and surroundings

London's palaces are strongly associated with the royal family. Therefore, London has something to object to the guests from St. Petersburg: “Peterhof, fountains, lions? And we have a queen living here, can you see the flag well?

Buckingham Palace

No matter how much you talk about the fact that the palace itself is small, grayish and boring, and the line of tourists does not dry out. The Queen leaves for Scotland for only a couple of months - usually in August-September. All this time the entrance to the ceremonial halls is open to visitors. They can also be launched on odd days when the royal person is away (this is indicated by a flag lowered over the palace). For inspection, the Green Living Room, dining room, throne room, gallery are opened. Sometimes exhibitions are held, at the exit - a souvenir shop.

Around the palace is sometimes not overcrowded, that is - do not go to the fence. This happens during the changing of the guard hours (at 11:30 every other day). Tourists are happy to take pictures of the guardsmen in high bear hats and at all other times. Still, the immovable symbol of royal Britain. On the square in front of the palace, you can also see mounted policemen in no less interesting headdresses.

Like Buckingham Palace, this palace is open to the public for a limited period of time - from early August to mid-September, when the parliamentarians sitting here go on vacation. The building was built back in the 11th century, it was completely restored after a fire in the second half of the 19th century. So this is not a fierce antiquity, but a “pseudo-Gothic” style. If Buckingham is famous for its Queen, then Westminster is famous for its nearby Big Ben. I wonder which of them is more recognized "by sight" outside of England?

Windsor castle

Another royal residence, this time the private quarters of the royal family. You have to watch the flag to see if you can get inside. As a rule, none of the royal persons are present during the week, but on the weekends the flag can proudly flutter. According to the strict royal schedule, Elizabeth lives here in March, April and a week in June.

This is an old fortress (11th century), which looks like a fortress should look like. Here is a classic park with royal gardens. Inside there are dozens of interesting places (which is worth only Queen Mary's dollhouse, ceremonial interiors of St. George's Hall or Waterloo Hall, chapels, heraldic sculptures).

A visit to Windsor (and without the queue for entry, which can stretch for an hour or more) is included in the London Pass attractions program.

Kensington Palace

This miniature palace in the city center can also be viewed with a London Pass to skip the line. The palace became a royal residence from the 17th century; younger members of the royal family lived and live in it. Today it is the official residence of the most famous couple in the world - William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. This is where Prince Harry lives.

The palace is notable for its Victorian interiors, objects of art (for example, frescoes from the 16th century depicting the royal court); around it there are 20 hectares of garden and here is a unique greenhouse. This is a real Mecca for everyone who is not indifferent to the royal house. The palace has a separate exposition of royal outfits from the end of the 18th century to the present day. It was Kensington Palace that remained the home of Princess Diana: her wedding dress is on display.

London for kids

London is very child friendly different ages. Its parks, squares, museums, even the main attractions are designed for the fact that they will play and run around here, on foot and in a wheelchair.

One of the largest royal parks in London, Regent's Park, as well as St. James Park, Hyde Park or Green Park, is perfect for walking with children: everywhere there are playgrounds, ponds with unusual waterfowl, impudent squirrels, flower beds, rose gardens, lawns for recreation.

The "big" zoo is now located in Whipsnade (remaining, however, a branch of the London one), and glazed enclosures are compactly grouped here. A swimming pool with penguins, a serpentarium, pygmy hippos, tropical birds, a "room" of nocturnal animals - these are just a small part of the inhabitants of the London Zoo. There are games and tasks for children, but visitors often say that the entrance fee is too high.

Three of London's most popular museums (Natural History, Science and Victoria and Albert), which are located next to each other, are also aimed at children: everything spins, opens, buzzes and invites to play. Many animals and dinosaurs in the Museum of Natural History are, in fact, mechanical toys, and the diplodocus can even be changed backlighting. Once in the department where experiments are carried out, the child receives a badge and instructions (including in Russian). The Victoria and Albert Museum is a treat for older kids, with outfits, decorations, ceremonial weapons on display.

The British Museum has children's days and programs for children. Starting from the youngest school age children, as a rule, are already sent to get acquainted with mummies. And in the souvenir shop there are a lot of toys - pencil cases, sarcophagi, ancient swords and much more.

Not only can you take a ride on the London Eye, the price also includes a short 4D film: views of London taken from above. The huge wheel makes a circle in about 30 minutes.

Near the London Eye, DreamWorks Tours Shrek Adventure opened in summer 2015: another interactive experience in which 4D animation works in conjunction with live actors, and visitors act as spectator participants and, together with a donkey, look for Shrek. The organizers claim that their park is designed for children aged 5 to 12, but in fact, after 10 years, children get bored here.

The park extreme rides Thorpe Park is located in the suburbs, about 32 km from London. Here, on the contrary, there is nothing for children under 12 to do, but it is one of the five parks in the world with the “coolest” slides. Legoland, built in Windsor (43 km from London, can be combined with a visit to the castle), will be interesting for both children and adults. The main attractions are aimed at children from 3 to 12 years old. Finally, the Harry Potter Amusement Park at Warner Bros. If in a similar park in Florida (USA) the emphasis is on rides and "magical" effects, then genuine scenery is demonstrated here: Dumbledore's office, potions class, library, Hogwarts interiors, Diagon Alley, etc.

December

The city of fogs, rains and winds can appear completely different: clear, sunny and even hot. The famous smog is a thing of the past, along with stove heating and factories that no longer smoke in the central part (the country is sensitive to environmental standards).

London's climate is changeable and extremely "temperate" (the gap between winter and summer temperatures rarely exceeds 15 degrees). Snow lies for several days during the entire winter period, summer is never too hot.

The rainy period begins in autumn, the rains continue in December-January, and then, at the end of April, resume until June inclusive. At the same time, there is no mention of any abrupt transition from a “dry” month to a rainy one. Precipitation is distributed throughout the year almost as evenly as degrees.

This is Austin. "The Austin automobile company, which later became the largest in England and extremely famous throughout the world, was founded in 1906 by Herbert Austin."

“In 1959, the Mini model was released, but the car, designed by Alec Issigonis, did not immediately receive this name - it initially appeared on the market as the legendary Austin Seven. The innovation was the placement of the gearbox and engine transversely in front, which made it possible to create a fairly compact car with a 4-seater body. The basis for the design of a new lightweight car was the Morris Minor-1000 model, the engine capacity of which was 0.95 liters. But for the Mini, the volume of the engine was reduced to 0.85 liters, and its power was about 32 hp. The Mini car, released in 1959, could reach speeds of up to 115 km / h.
Now there are a lot of upgraded Minis in London:

“Thanks to the location of the engine and gearbox, made in one block, the Austin Mini was recognized as a revolutionary vehicle in the automotive industry. In addition, the two-volume body (when the trunk is part of the body, and not a separate design solution) of this model was still unusual for that time. An effective solution was the placement of small wheels clearly at the corners of the body, which gave greater stability. ”
Well, the new ones, of course, do not look usual:

Last peep:

“In 1984, the seemingly most powerful Austin-Rover concern was created, but in 1988 British Aerospace bought the automotive corporation and until 1989 also produced Austin-Rover cars. However, soon the brand of manufactured cars was named Rover. This is how the quite popular car Rover Mini is still being produced, which the concern inherited from Austin.
Also a common machine:

One of the funniest is baby Figaro:

“One of the cars of the so-called “holiday” series (pike-car) based on the Nissan March car, which was produced during the era of economic recovery. The Figaro model is still popular today, and is consistently listed on the market, this is due to the fact that when it was created, the style was precisely maintained. Almost all of its parts are made according to a special project, especially the front panel of the cabin. In terms of silhouette, the car most of all resembles a 2-door coupe, the rear window and part of the roof retracts into the rear trunk, so this convertible is not quite ordinary, you can say “full open top”. The roof is partly made of white leather covered with acrylic film. The car provided for 4 seats, although the rear seats were more suitable for luggage. Therefore, the seating arrangement is best expressed by the 2x2 formula. The engine was, as on the base model, that is, a 4-cylinder "turbo". Transmission is 3-speed automatic only. This combination provided the car with a very brisk pace of driving. The series was limited, only 20 thousand units for the whole country.

The Chevrolet Camaro is an iconic American passenger car produced by GM's Chevrolet division as a model from 1967 to 2002.
“September 29, 1966 (1967 model year) saw the release of the first Chevrolet Camaro. It was a serious and quite competitive response from General Motors to the Mustang, which had been successfully produced by Ford for two years.
The word "Camaro" is a slang interpretation of the French "comrade" - friend, comrade. This origin of the name of the legendary car did not immediately become clear. In 1967, when asked about the origin of the word "Camaro", Chevrolet managers replied: "It's the name of a small, angry animal that eats mustangs."
This particular one is similar to the second generation, a 1972 car.

“Stricter safety regulations in 1972 resulted in 1,100 vehicles being rejected because their bumpers did not meet federal standards. Despite a 174-day strike at the Ohio plant, declining sales and some other factors that created a disappointing picture, the Camaro remained in service.
And this, it seems, is a first-generation machine (but it’s not, one of the readers said!). It's a Plymouth Barracuda!

Well, this is MG Rover. There are also a lot of such different old models on the streets of London.

“MG Rover was the last British production car company. The company was founded when BMW sold the car and engine factories of the original Rover Group to the Phoenix Consortium in 2000.
In 2005, MG Rover came under the control of Nanjing Automobile Group, which bought it. Nanjing reintroduced MG sports cars in 2007. The Rover brand, which was owned by BMW, was sold to Ford, which bought Land Rover from BMW earlier. The unrealized rights to the Rover brand along with Jaguar Land Rover were sold by Ford to Tata Motors in 2008.
Jaguar XJS V12, produced from 1975 to 1996:

MG Midget 1500, produced from 1974 to 1980:

The Mazda RX-7 is a sports car manufactured by the Japanese automaker Mazda from 1978 to 2003. The original RX-7 featured a twin rotary piston engine and a sporty front mid-engined, rear-wheel drive layout. The RX-7 replaced the RX-3 (both sold under the Savanna brand in Japan), displacing all other Mazda rotary cars with the exception of the Cosmo.
It is interesting that from the body she has remained untouched since the moment she left the factory?

The Porsche 911 (pronounced nine-eleven, German Neunelfer, English nine eleven) is a sports car manufactured by Porsche (Stuttgart, Germany).
In the international voting of the car of the century, the 911 came in fifth place behind the Ford Model T (1st), Mini (2nd), Citroen DS (3rd) and Volkswagen Beetle (4th).
The 911 is the most successful serial implementation of a rear-mounted, air-cooled (currently water-cooled) boxer engine scheme, the first example of which was the Volkswagen Beetle developed by Ferdinand Porsche, compared to the original 25 horsepower (DIN PS) of which turbocharged racing versions of the Porsche had ten or even three times more power.
There are just a lot of such cars in London. This is a 911T (not to be confused with Turbo). And about Turbo further.
“In October 1974, the Porsche 911 Turbo was presented at the Paris Motor Show. In the lead role driving force installed a three-liter engine with 6 cylinders and a simple turbocharger. Thanks to this, the car had dizzying technical specifications: 260 horsepower at 5500 rpm, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6 seconds, top speed 250 km/h. The engine was paired with a 4-speed gearbox."

But what it is, I don't know. Nobody knows? The headlights are funny:

“William Morris, who sold bicycles and cars in Oxford, decides in 1913 to build his own car. The model was called Oxford and was assembled from nodes purchased from different companies.
The next significant event in the history of the company took place in 1952. Then, as a result of the merger of Morris and Austin, the BMC concern was created. And then, in 1959, the Mini Minor model appeared, glorifying the company.

“The history of the Volkswagen concern (Volkswagen) began in the autumn of 1933 in one of the halls of the Kaiserhof Hotel (German: Kaiserhof) in Berlin. There were three interlocutors: Adolf Hitler, Jakob Verlin, a representative of Daimler-Benz, and Ferdinand Porsche. Hitler put forward a demand: to create a strong and reliable car for the German people, worth no more than 1000 Reichsmarks. Also, the car must be assembled at a new plant, embodying the new Germany. On a piece of paper, he sketched, outlined the main points of the program and asked for the name of the designer who would be responsible for the execution of the government order. Jacob Werlin proposed the candidacy of Ferdinand Porsche. The future car was named so - "Volks-Wagen" ("People's Car").
The Volkswagen Transporter is without a doubt a cult car. There are many of them throughout Europe and in London too:

Very interesting history of the brand here -
Someone made himself a lawn in the cabin:

But, back to our time. Parking in London:

The police cars have very noticeable coloring and a freaky, shrill siren:

In general, in London on the second day you stop being surprised at the cars parked at the houses:

There are even more luxurious ones here:

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722S Roadster. From 518 000 Euro in Europe.
“The 722 S was presented at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. The 5.5-liter engine is boosted to 650 hp, has a torque of 820 Nm, which allows the car to reach “hundreds” in 3.7 seconds, and the second “hundreds” in 10.6 seconds. The maximum speed is 335 km / h. Also, the car received a suspension lowered by 10 mm, additional carbon aerodynamic body elements, powerful brakes and 19-inch alloy wheels.
The Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S was released in a limited edition of 150 cars.
Good number snatched:

The Nissan GT-R is a sports car manufactured by Nissan Motor Company. Introduced as a production model at the Tokyo Motor Show on October 24, 2007, sales start in early 2008, first in Japan, then in the US and then in Europe. Model index - R35. Unlike its predecessors, which were produced only for JDM and delivered in limited editions to England, it will have a variant in both right and left hand drive.
Former model Nissan Skyline.

And this is something that is rarely seen on our roads. Roadsters BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products):

“In the late fifties, snowmobile inventor Joseph-Armand Bombardier realized his childhood dream: the L "Auto-Neige Bombardier company founded by him in 1942 (today Bombardier Inc. Corporation) began mass production of snowmobiles. J.-A. Bombardier began to look for a suitable engine for his Ski-Doo machines, and he chose ROTAX motors in 1962. After eight years of successful cooperation, the Canadian corporation included ROTAX in its structure.The company later became BRP-ROTAX GmbH & Co. KG. »
More about Bombardier Inc. and BRP company -
And this is some other roadster (I thought), but it turned out to be a Piaggio MP3 scooter (one of the readers thought), and in the end it is Gilera Fuoco 500:

Here is such a small excursion through the streets of London turned out.

: The first task for the optimal choice lies in wait for you, exactly after landing in the capital of foggy Albion. Let's say you're at Heathrow. What to prefer? Taxi, car rental or public transport?

On my past trips, I don’t philosophize slyly, I hurried to the taxi rank, firmly holding in my palm the treasured piece of paper with the address of the booked hotel. Of course, this is very convenient, you don’t need to think about anything, but as a rule, the average check for a trip was around 80 pounds (multiply by 1.16 to convert all prices to Euros).

1. Moreover, apart from comfort, there are no special advantages of such a transfer, on the same express train it sometimes turns out much faster.
V Lately I decided to reconsider my habits in this regard and as a result completely moved to public transport, getting from the airport by train express, metro or bus, the cost of a transfer in which rarely reaches the equivalent of 10 euros.

2. Of course, not without exceptions. For example, in most cities in the United States, where road communication is developed, it makes sense to rent a car. I don’t understand how to get around in Los Angeles without a car? $40 a day and you're open to all directions. But in big cities like London or NY Renting a car is just pointless.

Having once again visited London and talked with its inhabitants, I never ceased to be surprised at the rationality of the behavior of the British. It turns out that few people can afford to use the house garage for its intended purpose, because the most common houses are narrow buildings with one bedroom, a hall and a small kitchen, and due to their small area, many are forced to organize a storage room or an additional room in the garage.
Londoners tend to leave the car in the yard, and most often do not have one at all. As many say, buying a car is not even half the battle. Further more. Insurance, taxes, parking, petrol.

And it's not even partly about the money. Let's say I'm able to buy a huge gluttonous SUV, pay all the taxes and fees without looking at the appalling numbers, pay no attention to the price of gasoline. But here's the problem, there is one more problem - parking. Finding a free parking space in central London can be an incredibly confusing quest. You will be forced to endlessly wind through the streets in search of a free place and there is a chance not to find it at all. Well, you should not even think about parking a car contrary to the rules, because fines are inevitable and extremely painful.

3. Now briefly about the cost of owning a car.
The amount of insurance for a middle-class car varies over a wide range and directly depends on the age of the insured. For young people, it usually costs several thousand pounds a year. Adults pay from 300 to 500.
The road tax depends entirely on the harmful effects of the car on environment. The owners of those cars that pollute the air will have to pay 300 pounds a year. But there are also road tax incentives. If the car's engine is less than 1.1 liters, the driver will be given a £55 discount.

Buying a car

A two-year-old car, such as a Peugeot 307, will cost a UK resident £8,200-8,500, which roughly equals just under 10,000 euros. The road tax on it is 210 pounds annually. Insurance, like taxes, is a must. A Peugeot driver will pay about £50 a month for it.

parking

Despite the fact that it is in the UK that the giant Rolls Royces are produced, in general, large cars are extremely inconvenient here, not only in terms of costs, but also because of their dimensions. The British prefer small cars that are easy to park.
The streets of greater London are under the vigilant control of parking meters. Parking in the center of the British capital can cost up to £10 per hour or more. But the entrance to the center is paid - it's a good 8 pounds. You have to pay even for the shortest stops. At the same time, the patience of most metropolitan traffic inspectors, who are a dime a dozen in London, ends very quickly: after a few minutes of delay, a fine is usually issued.

Counters lie in wait for the British in the most unexpected places. For example, parking at hospitals is also paid, even for patients. And you won't complain to anyone. Everyone is okay with this. So, if you do not want to scatter money, it is best to travel in England by bus. Day ticket costs from 3 pounds.

Availability of parking spaces: The rules for parking vehicles have their own characteristics. If a double solid line of road markings is applied along the edge of the carriageway, it means that parking is in this place banned around the clock. On the single yellow line, parking may be permitted subject to special notices, usually outside business hours. If it is necessary to observe some special rules when parking (the way the vehicle is parked, etc.), then the corresponding road signs will indicate this. Payment for parking in specially designated areas is made using special machines that issue a ticket to the driver with a mark on the parking time, or by phone. Most machines accept coins in denominations of 20p, 50p, and £1 and £2.

Paid car parks in England are not always guarded. Free parking lots are located mainly near large shops or far from the city center, and it is allowed to leave a car in them for no more than two hours. In many places you can see a road sign saying Residents parking. It means that in this place parking is allowed only for citizens who permanently live nearby and who have special permission.

Mandatory inspection

The annual control check is mandatory and includes an oil change, the installation of new filters and an electronics check. Depending on the service station, a Peugeot owner will have to shell out at least £380 for it. Tire replacement will cost another £355. In the case of BMW, Jaguar or Mercedes, the costs are higher.
As for repairs, many immigrants from the former USSR agree: in the UK they are not used to, or rather, have lost the habit of repairing. Everything is changed there by blocks, systems. So it may happen that over the years you will have to buy your car again - only this time for spare parts.

Fuel

The next major expense in the car maintenance program is the cost of fuel. It should be noted that traffic jams on the streets are a common occurrence. And this is additional fuel consumption. The average owner of the same Peugeot, who does not spend much time behind the wheel, spends about 80 pounds per week on gasoline.

fines

Running a red signal is punishable by a fine of £75 in the UK, the same amount you can pay for breaking the rules of overtaking. Parking violations will cost £35, but keep in mind that in Britain such violations are recorded not only by the police, but also by cameras. As a result, according to statistics, the number of fines for illegal parking has increased by 10% over the past two years. The camera captures the violation already after 17 seconds from the time the car stopped.
Penalty for speaking mobile phone while driving in Britain is 75 euros.
And in London, since March, from 20 to 120 pounds, the fine for drivers who do not turn off the engine while parking has been raised. With the engine running British capital you can only stand for three minutes.